Changeable indicator



C. TALOTTA.

CHANGEABLE fNDICAToR.

APPucATloN FILED xuurza, 1920.

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emo/wmp C. TALOTT.

CHANGEABLE INDICATOR.

Mmc/mon FILED JUNE 23, |920.

Patented oct. 1s, 1921.`

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WWA/E555 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

CHANGEABLE INDICATOR.

Application led .Tune 23,

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARMINE TALOTTA, a subject of the King of Italy,residing at Clementon, in the county of Lehigh and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inChangeable Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in an automatic indicatorprimarily intended for application to street railways, although ofcours-e capable of being used in other elds, such for instance as steamrailways, motor buses, and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a changeable indicatoradapted to be applied to street vehicles, and the like, and serving toalways inform the occupants of the vehicle as to the location thereof.The invention has in mind the provision of a changeable indicatorprimarily intended for use on street railways, including a movableelement having thereon in successive order the names of the variousstops along the route of the car, which movable indicator is actuated bya driving connection with the axle of the car to present the names ofthe car stops successively so as to inform the occupants of the car whena particular stop which is to be a destination is reached, eliminatingthe necessity of depending upon they memory of a conductor or employeeto announce the various streets along the route which manifestly theyoften fail to do.

With the foregoing conception in mind, the invention contemplatesindicating means for street railways embodying a shiftable or movabletape having arranged thereon the names of the streets in successiveord-er,

Aat which the car is to stop, and gearing means interposed between theaxle of the car and the indicator for moving the indicator` agivendistance to agree with the distance between a pair of stoppingpoints along the railway route to always present to the occupants thename of a given street prior to the time the car reaches the same. Thetape is wound around suitable rollers disposed within a shiftable frame,which vframe ,receives suitable shafts having driving` gears thereonwhereby when the same is in an operative position, the tape will bemoved in consonance with the movement of the car while if it is desiredto place the `indicator out of operation for a rewinding orotherpurposes, this may be accomplished by shifting ,the emss@ .that thedriving gear is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

1920. serial No. 391,141.

moved out of mesh with the gear on the drive shaft.

The invention further contemplates a novel construction of indicator,that is exceedingly simple in operation, embodies few parts and isinexpensive to manufacture.

In the accompanying drawings, I have disclosed a single embodiment ofthe invention, in which Figure l is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view; and Figs. 3 and 4 are sections throughdifferent portions of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters indicate corresponding parts, the numeral l designates arailway car, which may be the usual street car or the like. The same isprovided with supporting axles 2 and flanged car wheels 3. Secured uponthe axle 2 is a gear 4, composed of a pair of gear segments 5 and 5bolted together by the fastening bolts 6 for rigidly securing the'gearupon the axle. To prevent a relative movement of the gear and the axle asplined key may be employed, or other equivalent fastening devices solong as an independent rotation of the gear and the axle isnotpermitted. v

Extending at right angles to the axle 2 and projecting to a point nearthe top of the car l, is a main driving shaft 7 having at its lower enda'beveled gear 8 meshing with the main gear 4 secured to the vehicleaxle. The upstanding shaft near itsl upper end has secured thereto aworm driving gear 9 which is preferably composed of a pair of sectionsunited by suitable collars and fastening bolts to the main drive shaft.This ,gear is adapted to mesh with a driving gear of the changeableindicator in a manner Vwhich will be later described. The upsta'ndingshaft 7 at its free end is supported by a bracket 10 secured to the wallof the car and preferably composed of metal having an opening 11receiving the end of the shaft 7. The entire shaft and its gear 9 arelikewise preferably'incased by a metalllic protecting covering ,12composed of separable sections having `.suitable ears 13 `adapted toreceive securing bolts lfor fasteningthe sections of the casingtogether. Disposed adjacent the upperend of the main driving shaft 7 isa suitable relatively Vnarrow changeable indicating casing l2',

preferably-composed of sheet metal and hav- 'ing a. transverse visionplate Vor opening 14 thelem receiving a glass panell through which asuitable tape or band 16at is visible.V The housing, as before stated,is preferably composed of metal and is disposed trans# versely of thecar between the sides thereof. Disposed on each side ofthe housing aresuitable frames 16 each consisting of side members 17 having a pluralityof openings therein to receive the shafts 18, 19 and 20. There is alsodisclosed a pair of connecting rods 20 entering suitable apertures inthe frame 16 which connecting rods also pass through the side walls ofthe housing or casing 12. The shafts 18, 19, and 20 are journaled in theframe 16 for a rotary movement, the shaft 18 being slightly longer thanthe shafts 19 and 20, and seated within suitable sockets 28 in the sidewalls of the railway car constituting a support for the side frames andthe casing. rllhe shafts 18 and 2O are likewise provided within thecasing with suitable elastic coverings 21 of rubbervor the like aroundwhich the indi eating tape to be later described, winds. The casing andthe frame members 16 are mounted for a swinging movement by reason ofthe supporting` Shaft 18 so as to permit the entire casing to be movedon its pivot from a vertical to an inclined position for a rea son whichwill hereinafter appear. The shafts 18 and 2O have attached theretosuitable gears 2Oa meshing with a gear 21 on the shaft 19, the lowergear 20a meshing with the worm gear on the shaft 7. for imparting arot-ary movement to the shafts 18, 19 and 20 for the actuationl of thetape passing thereover.

Disposed within the casing 12 and adapted to pass around the shaftstherein is a tape 16a. the same winding around the shafts 18 and 20. andto insure contact of this tape with the rollers a vplurality ofV Springactuated pressing devices or cylinders 2a are provided, the samebeingsuspended upon movable arms 25 pivoted to the casing 12 andnormally urged toward the rollers by means of springs 26-coperating withthe arms. The housing is also provided withvwinding rollers 27 and 28interposed between the rollers 18 and 20 and forced into contacttherewith by means of the fiat springs 30 acting upon the supportingarms 29 of these rollers. As the driven shafts 18 and 20v are moved, itis apparent that the tape 16a' will V'be transferred from one roller tothe other,

being held in contact with the rollers 18 and20 by means of thepressing` rollers 24 while the tape will likewise be unwound from oneroller 27 and be wound upon the other roller 28. The rollers 27 and 28as the tape is wound -or unwound thereon, are al* ways vheld in contactwith the driven rollers 18 and-29U by reason of the flat springcooperatingwith the supporting arms thereoi/ t will be apparentthat whenthe @er .is :noni-as the iii/@nascar en the shaft. te is meshing withthe lower gear 20at this will impart a movement to the shafts 18, 19 and20, and the tape will be progressively moved past the Vsight opening 14,so that the occupants of the car will always be informed as to theloca-tion of the car. It is apparent that the distance between certainstops along the route is greater than the distance be* tween otherstops, and to compensate for this the names of the streets are soarranged on the tape that the proper name will always appear at or aboutthe time a given stop is reached. The names of thel streets arepreferably printed on the tape and are spaced different distances apartin accordance with the distance between a pair of street stops. llVhenYthe shaft 7 and its worm 8 is rotated, thisl rotary movement will beimparted to the shafts 18, 19 and 20. Y he frame members 16 of theseshafts and the casing 12 are maintained in a vertical position,wherebythe worm'contacts with the gear 2Oa by means of a trip lever 32Supported in a bracket 33 to the side wall of the car. This trip whenraised engages one of the frame members 16 and retains the same in avertical position against the tension of the spring` 34e. However, whenthe latch is released by means of the chain 33 the entire frame and thecasing swing backwardly to a position wherein the lower gear 20a isthrown into mesh with'a gear 35. This gear is mounted upon a suitableshaft 35 and may be actuated byhand or byV an electric motor or the likefor the purpose of rewinoins the tape after the Vcar has reached itsdestination and is about to make a return trip. The rotation of thegear85 upon the actuation of the shaft 86 causes the tape to be rewound, andthis rewinding can be eX- peditiously done by hand, or an auxiliarysource of pow-er. ln using the indicator 1 preferably dispose oneindicator at the front and another the rear of the` car, it beingmanifest that in 'this Vtype of construction when the car is moved inone direction the occupants will always look at the indicator in thefront portion of the car., while the indicator in the rear'thereof whichis rewinding receives little or no attention, and which eliminates thenecessity of a 'manual rewindingwhen the car has reachedits destination.just' been reached, and the direction of the movement of the carreversed, then the indi# Vcater which yhas previously been located inthe rear of the car will nowV occupy a forward position, anda rewindingof the indicator will occur so that the indicator will designate thevarious stops along the route while the other indicator is in theprocess of rewinding. 1

Having thus described the invention, what l claim isz-v-v y f u 1.indicatorv forA railway ears compris:

When Vthel end of the route hasV ing separated swinging frame members,said frame members receiving a plurality of shafts, one shaft passingentirely through openings in the frame members and adapted to entersockets in the car to support said frame members for a swingingmovement, gears carried by the shafts, a driven shaft actuated by themovement of the car having a gear coperating with a gear on one of saidshafts, a casing suspended upon said shafts intermediate their ends, anda movable indicator actuated by the shafts and disposed within saidcasing, said indicator passing around the shafts, pressing rollers formaintaining the indicator in contact with the shafts, and windingrollers .for feeding and receiving the indicator during its movement.

2. An indicator for railway cars comprising separated swinging framemembers, said Vframe members receiving a plurality of shafts, one shaftpassing entirely through. openings in the frame members and adapted toenter sockets in the car to support said frame members for a swingingmovement, gears carried by the shafts, a driven shaft actuated by themovement of the car having a gear coperating with a gear on one of saidshafts, a casing suspended upon said shafts intermediate their ends, anda movable indicator actuated by the shafts and disposed within saidcasing, said indicator passing around the shafts, pressing rollers formaintaining the indicator in contact with the shafts, and windingrollers for feeding and receiving the indicator during its move-- ment,and means for maintaining the indicator in an operative positioncomprising1 a latch.

3. An indicator for railway cars comprising separated swinging framemembers, said frame members receiving a plurality of shafts, one shaftpassing entirely through openings in the frame members and adapted toenter sockets in the car to support said frame members for a swingingmovement, gears carried by the shafts, a driven shaft actuated by themovement of the car having a gear cooperating with a gear on one of saidshafts, a casing suspended upon said shafts intermediate their ends, anda movable indicator actuated by the shafts and disposed within saidcasing, said indicator passing around the shafts, pressing rollers formaintaining the indicator in contact with the shafts, and windingrollers for feeding and receivingr the indicator during its movement,and means for maintaining the indicator in an operative positioncomprising a latch, and resilient means for moving said indicator into aposition wherein a gear on one of the shafts cooperates with a reversinggear for rewinding the indicator, substantially as described.

e. An indicator of the character described comprising separated swingingframe members, a plurality of shafts connected with said frame members,one of said shafts constituting a support therefor, meshing gears onsaid shafts, and driven means for operating one of said gears, a tapeoperated by the movement of the shafts, means for holding the frame inan operative position for driving the tape, and means for releasing saidframe to permit the same to occupy an inoperative position upon aswinging movement thereof to discontinue the movement of the tape.

5. ein indicator of the character described comprising` swinging framemembers, a shaft passing through said frame members and constituting apivot support therefor; other shafts journaled in said frame members toswing therewith, meshing gears on said shafts, a driven shaft having agear thereon meshing with one of the gears on one of said shafts, a tapehaving1 a plurality of reference characters arranged in successive orderadapted to be moved by the operation of the shafts, means for holdingthe frame in a position for operating the tape.

6. An indicator of the character described comprising swinging framemembers, a shaft passing through said frame members and constituting apivot support therefor; other shafts journaled in said frame members toswing therewith, meshing gears on said shafts, a driven shaft having a`gear thereon meshing with one of the gears on one of said shafts, a tapehaving a plurality of reference characters arranged in successive orderadapted to be moved by the operation of the shafts, means for holdingthe frame in a position for operating the tape, said means comprising alatch, and automatic means for throwing the frame to an inoperativeposition upon the release of the latch.

7. ein indicator of the character described comprising swinging framemembers, a shaft passing through said frame members and constituting apivot support therefor, other shafts journaled in said frame members toswing therewith, meshing gears on said shafts, a driven shaft having agear thereon meshing with one of the gears on one of said shafts, a tapehaving a plurality of reference characters arranged in successive orderadapted to be moved by the operation of the shafts, mean; for holdingthe frame in a position for operating the tape, said means comprising alatch, and automatic means for throwing the frame to an inoperativeposition upon the release of the latch, in combination with a reversinggear adapted to coperate with a gear on one of said shafts when theframe is thrown to an inoperative position for rewinding the tape.

in testimony whereof l affix my signature,7

CARMINE TALOTTA.

